Hurricanes notebook: Receiver Jeff Thomas improving his skills to go along with his speed

Tom D'Angelo @tomdangelo44

Wednesday

Sep 12, 2018 at 12:01 AMSep 13, 2018 at 5:16 PM

The best offensive player for the Miami Hurricanes this season has been a speedy second year wide receiver who is eighth nationally in all-purpose yards and is responsible for four of Miami’s five longest plays.

Jeff Thomas, the 5-foot-10, 180-pound receiver from East St. Louis, is averaging 182.5 all-purpose yards, which is nearly three times his closest teammate, DeeJay Dallas, at 65.0 per game.

Thomas has nine plays of at least 20 yards. He had a 50-yard reception in the season-opening loss to LSU and a 67-yard catch against Savannah State, which resulted in Miami’s third touchdown of the 77-0 blowout.

In addition to 199 receiving yards, Thomas has 90 yards on punt returns and 76 on kickoff returns.

Thomas, who started four games last season, is becoming more than just a speed receiver.

"The biggest thing Jeff got better at is his releases," quarterback Malik Rosier said. "Sometimes I felt like last year he just tried to run by people and he’s fast enough to do it. When you got guys like (CBs Michael Jackson), Trajan Bandy, guys that can run with him, he has to do a good job of releasing. You’ll see him now, he’s creating five, 10, 15 yards separation on our DBs."

That and improved receiving skills has helped Thomas become the Hurricanes’ most dangerous threat early in the season. And that improvement is a boost to the offense considering No. 1 receiver Ahmmon Richards of Wellington is nursing a sore knee and has just one catch. Richards did not play against Savannah State and remains day-to-day.

"He’s a dynamic guy, super fast, great leaping ability," coach Mark Richt said about Thomas, who is averaging 33.2 yards on six catches, second nationally. "He times his jumps well. He can catch it with one hand, he can catch it with two hands."

Receivers coach Ron Dugans has worked with Thomas on managing his speed. Dugans made cut ups of NFL receivers, including former Hurricanes Braxton Berrios and Stacy Coley, playing fast, making explosive plays, blocking on the perimeter and getting in and out of their breaks.

"I couldn't coach his speed, he’s fast," said Dugans, who caught 105 passes for 1,520 yards and seven touchdowns during his career at Florida State.

"I told him how to manage his speed and the tempo of the game, when and when not to run in and out of windows. Also, for Jeff it was becoming a student of the game, learning from Berrios and Coley and different guys, how the game is played, how certain concepts are run, what looks you are going to see. It was more development in the classroom than on the field."

Freshmen flashing

Hurricanes defensive coordinator Manny Diaz has been impressed with a handful of freshmen on his side of the ball who already are making an impact.

Rousseau suffered a fractured ankle against Savannah State and underwent surgery. He is out indefinitely.

Toledo passing the test

Toledo’s receivers have gotten the attention of the Hurricanes.

Toledo is the first BCS program to return three receivers – junior Diontae Johnson and seniors Cody Thompson and Jon’Vea Johnson - who have earned all-league honors and caught at least 10 touchdown passes in a single season.

The Rockets are fifth nationally in passing offense, having played one game and totaling 390.0 yards through the air. Several publications have Toledo’s receivers ranked among the top 10 nationally.

"They’re as deep a group, and it’s not my opinion the numbers tell it, as anybody in the country," Diaz said. "And they all have different skill sets but the one thing they can all do, they can all take you deep. Every DBs primal fear is that deep ball and every one of those guys has the ability, skill, releases to get off the line of scrimmage and to take you up the field and then make the plays down the field. Certainly, they have our full attention."

The receivers are playing with a young quarterback, junior Mitchell Guadagni, who made his debut in the Rockets’ 66-3 win over VMI in their season opener.